I'm your sister's master

Just as Jonas had said, Amau Sueko served no purpose to him now beyond being bait.

Although the plan to "steal the protagonist's girl" sounded very tempting, Jonas knew full well that the risk was no different from inviting a wolf into his home.

Jonas made no attempt to wear down the girl's psychological defenses with more words.

Sometimes, knowing when to stop was more effective.

He slowly rose to his feet and looked at Amau Sueko, whose face had gone rather pale.

The girl bit her lower lip. Only after a long silence did she speak, her voice strained:

"What are you planning to do to them?"

"A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye."

Jonas's gaze was calm, with a trace of indifference:

"Someone has to pay the debt for the Alt District."

"I planned this. You can put it all on me. Why do you have to...!" Amau Sueko raised her head stubbornly, a hint of resentment in her eyes.

"Don't you find that ridiculous?"

Jonas gave a derisive laugh, cutting off Amau Sueko's rather naive words. Looking into her eyes, he said:

"Thirteen employees were killed or injured in the Alt District. Your life alone isn't enough to repay that."

At those words, Amau Sueko fell silent.

She dug her nails into her palms. Neither pleading nor threats worked on him, and now all she could do was watch as the devil before her lured her companions into the abyss, step by step.

The girl gradually sank into despair, her heart filled with resentment and regret.

"So..."

Reaching the door, Jonas glanced sideways at the girl, placed a hand over his chest, and bowed slightly.

Against the girl's wretched state, the gesture seemed unbearably mocking.

His lips spread into a grin as he said softly:

"Sorry for all the trouble I'll be putting you through in the next act, Miss Amau."

With that, the door slowly closed.

The room sank into darkness once more.

"So, Mr. Jonas, have you already devised a plan to draw out whoever is behind Amau Sueko?"

At the Wetting Conglomerate, Eiffel followed Jonas as he emerged from the confinement room. Looking at the young heir's back, she asked softly.

Jonas paused at her words, then said:

"While your prey still has the strength to resist, the first thing you need to do is wear away its last ounce of energy... even if it already seems completely at your mercy, you can't let your guard down for a moment until it's truly dead."

He did not answer Eiffel's question directly, but the girl understood what he meant.

Eiffel frowned and asked, "Was that something Mr. Carl taught you?"

Carl was the late father Jonas had inherited along with this identity. After discovering that Jonas had been hiding his abilities, the girl instinctively assumed this was advice the previous head of the Wetting Conglomerate had left his heir.

In reality, however, Mr. Carl had never managed to teach the body's original owner anything.

Jonas smiled and said:

"Would you believe me if I said I picked it up from watching documentaries as a kid?"

The documentary was called Animal World, and it had taught Jonas plenty about the adult world as well... such as how life came into being.

"You really are exceptionally gifted, then," Eiffel remarked dryly.

After the previous incident, she had learned one thing very clearly... if even one in ten things that came out of this young master Jonas's mouth could be trusted, she should count her blessings.

"Beep-"

While the two were chatting, an electronic alert suddenly sounded.

Jonas stopped and answered the call. After a moment, the person on the other end spoke:

"Mr. Jonas, something unexpected has happened with Miss Celine Nora."

"..."

As he listened to the account over the call, the small measure of satisfaction Jonas had gained from the interrogation vanished completely.

He drew a deep breath and said:

"Head to Wetting Hospital in the Earlis District."

Eiffel froze for a moment before answering:

"Yes."

Leather boots clicked against the tiled floor.

Jonas's mood could only be described as going from sunny to cloudy to overcast. He had thought the Black Valkyrie was enough trouble already, but her younger sister turned out to be even worse.

If he mishandled this, all his subsequent plans would be thrown into disarray.

After all, Esnie Nora was an indispensable piece on his board. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to give up that trump card.

At the end of the corridor was a private hospital room equipped with the best medical equipment in the Earlis District.

Miss Celine Nora was inside.

Jonas took a deep breath and placed his hand on the door handle.

The door slowly opened, revealing a girl with long, ink-black hair sitting by the windowsill.

Her face was rather pale, and she regarded Jonas with deep wariness.

The instant the door opened, she raised a fruit knife and demanded:

"Who are you? Where is this?"

As though realizing the knife posed little threat to him, she pressed it against her own neck instead.

Jonas seemed unbothered by the young girl's actions. Walking inside, he said:

"Threatening other people with your own life is a very foolish thing to do, Miss Celine."

At that, the girl sneered and said:

"I'd rather die than let you use me to threaten my sister."

Jonas stopped and said:

"If I wanted to use you for something, we'd be negotiating in an interrogation room right now, not a hospital..."

"Besides, I haven't restricted your freedom, have I?"

Hearing this, the girl looked uncertain. Only after a long while did she raise the fruit knife again, though she had clearly lost the courage to use it. She asked:

"You have to answer my questions first... where is this? Who are you?"

"This is Wetting Hospital in the Earlis District. As for me..."

Jonas paused before continuing:

"I'm your sister's master."

Clatter.

The knife fell to the floor.